Family Ties
by TsubakiTwilight
Summary: The man was tall, much taller than his mom, with warm, tanned skin and brown hair that was messily brushed back. Tsuna stared up at the man and blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "A-Are you my father…!" In which Nana's side of the family plays a much bigger part in Tsuna's life. OC! AU! Pairings undecided! Drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

**I.**

To be honest, he had expected something like this to happen eventually. His younger sister, after all, was a pretty young thing with flawless fair skin, long brown hair that framed a heart-shaped face, large chocolate-colored eyes with long lashes, and a kind and loving personality that could put a saint to shame.

Yes, he had whole-heartedly expected his sister to get married and have a child one day; he just didn't expect her to be married to the young CEDEF Leader of the strongest, most renowned mafia Family in the world, nor did he expect his nephew to be a Sky of all things.

Plastering on a too-bright smile in order to hide the turmoil he was currently feeling, Tachibana Ryuunosuke greeted his younger sister with a half-wave, ignoring her gasp of shock and surprise – and the subsequent dropping of the few shopping bags in her hands – at his sudden appearance outside her small, two-story home.

"… It's been a while, hasn't it, Sister?" He said, in lieu of a greeting. "Why don't you invite me inside so we can talk about everything that's happened over the past seven years?"

 **II.**

Sawada Nana was finally content with life.

Married to a man she knew loved and supported her – no matter what the neighbors and naysayers gossiped about – and graced with the most adorable son to ever walk the face of the Earth – no matter what her dear Tsu-kun's teachers and classmates said – she was finally happy. True, her year-long relationship with Iemitsu might not be considered _quite_ long enough to truly decide if marriage and starting a family was right with him, but… she loved him and she knew that he loved her and that's all that really mattered to her at that point in her life.

Still…

Nana lifted her cup and took a small sip of the liquid contents, peering at the profile of her older brother over the rim of the ceramic mug – her older brother whom she had not seen nor heard from in over six years and _how dare he_ -

The brunette quickly – resolutely – stopped that particular train-of-thought from completing, after all, without her brother's help, she wouldn't be living in the quiet, suburban town that was Namimori, Japan. Instead, she would probably be stuck hanging off That Man's arm and forced to be paraded around like some kind of trophy and then when they were finally along That Man would put grimy, filth-covered hands on her and-

She rapidly ended that line of thought as well.

This was her present.

 _This_ was her life now.

She took another sip from her cup in order to calm herself before asking, "How have you been, Brother?"

Nana watched as her older brother tore his gaze away from inspecting the contents and layout of her home – not that he would be able to see much anyway from his seat at her kitchen table. The corner of his lips twitched upwards for a moment before he replied, "Busy," in a bland tone.

A soft giggle bubbled out of Nana's throat before she could stop it and she noticed the slight tension of her brother's shoulder ease a little at her laughter. At that sight, her own shoulders relaxed as well – it was a relief to know that she was not the only one who had been nervous about their eventual reunion, because, while it had been seven years since they last saw each other, Nana knew that Ryuunosuke would not truly abandon her, not like their-

No – now was not the time to be thinking about things like that.

"I can imagine," was her response. "Have things been going well with everyone?"

Ryuunosuke nodded, at last reaching for the cup of tea she had placed before him nearly ten minutes ago. "… More or less," he revealed after a momentary pause. "I've officially taken over Father as Head of the Clan and have implemented quite a few changes… most of which were never fully approved by the rest of the Clan."

"Well," Nana began, "you and I know better than anyone else on how narrow-minded and fearful of change everyone was."

"Some are still resistant to change; however, they are the minority now."

Nana nodded her head. "I see…"

"For the most part, things are final stable both within and outside the Clan which is why I was finally able to take some time off to come a visit you."

"I see…"

Silence fell between them.

Silence.

Silence.

Silen-

"So…" Her brother cleared his throat uncomfortably. "How have you been, Sister?"

And now they get to the core of the conversation.

"I've been doing well. I'm sure you already know this, but, I got married to the man of my dreams and gave birth to the most wonderful son a mother could ever hope for!"

Her brother flinched almost imperceptible, almost, and he closed his eyes for a moment. "… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after you left the Clan, Nana," he began, "I-"

"It's not your fault, Ryuu," Nana interjected strongly, setting her cup down with a bit more force than necessary, the tea inside sloshing over lip of the cup and onto the table. "… If you hadn't taken that risk and helped me leave the Clan, then I would be married to a man I did not love and stuck living a life I did not want… or I'd be dead. The past seven years were nothing – _are_ nothing compared to when I was shackled to and living under the Tachibana name!" She paused before continuing, "If anything, _I_ should be the one apologizing to _you_. After all, you were the one who took all the risk and responsibilities of the Clan after I left… if you hadn't helped me leave… then you would probably be able to live the life that you wanted. So… I'm sorry, Ryuunosuke, for having to make you choose between my happiness and your own…"

Ryuunosuke was silent for a few minutes before he let out a low chuckle and shook his head slowly. "… Heh… We're a pair of right fools aren't we…? To me, as long as you're happy, everything I've been through has been worth it."

"And are _you_ happy with everything, Ryuu?"

Nana's brother fell silent once more. "… I'm… satisfied with how things are."

Nana's gaze fell to the table separating them. "Then…" she began to speak, "as long as we're both happy… that's all that matters, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Ryuunosuke nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

The two siblings shared a smile before Nana's peripheral vision caught sight of the clock hanging on the kitchen wall.

"Ah! Tsu-kun should be coming home from school any minute now… would you like to finally meet him?"

"Thank you… I would love that, Sister."

 **III.**

Sawada Tsunayoshi trudged his way home, head handing low and body littered with scrapes and bruises and who-knows-what-else.

Today had been another miserable day for the six-year old.

He had gotten lost while heading to school that morning and ended up being chased around by that scary dog one of the old ladies living in the neighbor had as a pet! That made him super late for class and everyone laughed and made fun of him for it! Then at lunch he not only had his lunch box taken away, but, also the lunch money his mom gave in 'just-in-case'! After that everyone learned that he had failed the math test from yesterday and made even more fun of him! And just now he had been beaten up by some of the older kids for walking down 'their' street!

The brunet whimpered softly when he accidentally bumped his bruised arm into the wall surrounding his house.

Oh well… at least he was home now, right? His mother would make him a cup of hot chocolate and make all his pain go away! Then he would try his absolute best tomorrow!

"I-I'm h-home…," Tsuna stuttered, shutting the door behind him.

"Welcome back, Tsu-kun!" His mother replied from the kitchen. "Come to the kitchen! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Heart beating loudly at his mom's sudden announcement, the brunet warily made his way down the hall and towards the kitchen.

Someone she wanted him to meet…? Who was it? Could it be a friend? No, not many people liked him or his mama… What if… what if she had another little boy in there because she didn't want a No-Good son like him?! That's probably what was happening! He was getting replaced! That's why his mama sounded so happy because she had found someone else to be proud of and-

With tears prickling his eyes, Tsuna peered around the junction where the hallway ended and the kitchen began, ready to see this other boy that would take his place and-

… That's not who his eyes landed upon.

That's not who was sitting at the kitchen table.

There was a man there: a man… who looked a lot like him!

The man was tall, _much_ taller than his mom, with warm, tanned skin and brown hair that was messily brushed back. He was wearing a teal sweater, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, over a white shirt and had long, black pants with shiny brown shoes on. When the man noticed him and turned his head, Tsuna noticed that he also had brown eyes – like him and his mom! – and had a piercing on his right eyebrow and had a long, silver earring dangling from his left ear.

He was… pretty, Tsuna decided, almost as pretty as his mom.

Tsuna watched silently as the man smiled gently, eyes crinkling slightly, as he slowly got out of his chair and walked towards him.

"Hello," the man said, kneeling down to greet him, "it's nice to finally meet you, Tsuna-kun. My name is Tachibana Ryuunosuke."

Tsuna stared up at the man – Ryuunosuke – and blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "A-Are you my father…?!"

Ryuunosuke blinked once in surprise before Tsuna saw… something flash in the man's dark eyes and the man's shoulders hunched forward for a split-second and-

' _Oh no! D-Did I s-say something w-wrong and ma-make him a-angry?!'_

-Tsuna drew back instinctively, eyes closing in fear, as he readied himself to face the man's anger and disappointment in him-

A hand settled softly on his head and Tsuna cautiously opened one eye, then the other, when the man did nothing more than ruffle Tsuna's hair.

With an apologetic smile, Ryuunosuke said, "Unfortunately, I'm not your father, Tsuna-kun, though, we _are_ family. I'm your mother's older brother… which means, I'm your uncle."

Disappointment filled Tsuna when the nice man said he wasn't the brunet's father, but, that feeling quickly disappeared when the rest of Ryuunosuke's words registered.

"U-Uncle…?" Tsuna hedged nervously, hopefully.

Ryuunosuke nodded and removed his hand from Tsuna's head. "That's right, I'm your uncle and I wanted to say that I'm really sorry for not coming to visit you or your mother earlier. I know you and she must have gone through a lot over the past years…"

Something in Tsuna began to boil and seethe at the man's apology.

Yeah, the past few years have been horrible! Why did it take his so-called 'uncle' this long to meet him?! Why couldn't the man have come earlier?! What was wrong-?!

"I-It's n-nice to m-meet you, U-Uncle R-Ryuunosuke…," Tsuna said shyly, fidgeting slightly from his spot around the corner of the wall.

His uncle let out a soft chuckle and flashed another gentle smile. "Please, call me Ryuu or Uncle Ryuu; I know my name is long, huh? Just like yours, Tsuna-kun… that's something that we both have in common! Say… why don't the two of us start a club for people with too long names? You can be the first member and I can be the second, okay?"

Tsuna gaped at his uncle with disbelieving eyes. "I-I can be fi-first…?!"

He was never first at anything before!

Ryuunosuke nodded and said, "Of course, this is your home right? Since this will be the headquarters of our club that makes you the first person to join and the Leader!" He then leaned forwards, placed a hand against his mouth, and began to whisper loudly, "Just don't let your mother know about our super, secret club, okay? She might get jealous that she can't join because her name isn't long like ours."

"I can still hear you, you know." Nana said in a faux-upset tone as she placed a hand on her hip.

"I know," was Ryuunosuke's response.

Tsuna covered his mouth with his hands in order to muffle the giggles he was making. His uncle was a lot of fun!

"Alright then," Nana began, getting out of her chair, "Tsu-kun, why don't you go wash up then start on your homework, okay? I'll bring you some hot chocolate and snacks in a little bit."

"Okay!" Tsuna nodded and turned around before stopping and turning back towards the kitchen. Peering up at his uncle with hope lacing his eyes and words, the brunet asked, "U-Um… w-will you be s-staying for dinner, U-Uncle Ry-Ryuu…?"

"Of course, I want to know all about my favorite nephew and your mother and I have a lot to talk about, don't we, Sister?" Ryuunosuke turned his head to glance at Nana over his shoulder.

"… R-Right! That we do, Brother."

Tsuna's uncle turned back to face the seven-year old with another soft smile. "Truth be told, I'm actually on a… vacation of sorts so I'll be staying here for the next few weeks or so."

Tsuna brightened instantaneously at those words. "R-Really?!"

"Yep," Ryuunosuke nodded, "now, why don't you do as your mother said and go wash up and do your homework."

"O-Okay! I will!" Still sporting a bright grin, Tsuna turned and began clambering up the stairs.

 **IV.**

Watching with an indulgent smile as his nephew scampered down the hallway and up the stairs leading up to the second floor of the home, Ryuunosuke knelt there, at the kitchen's entrance, for a moment before he stood and turned to face his sister – a stony expression marring his features.

"So tell me, dear Sister, _why_ did Tsuna-kun mistake me for his father?"

His sister winched slightly at his cold voice before steeling herself and replying, "… It's because Tsu-kun's father hasn't been home in over six years."

"And why is that exactly?"

Nana's eyes narrowed slightly. " _You_ of all people should know the answer to that, Brother."

Brown stared at brown as a tension began to rise between the siblings.

Eventually, Ryuunosuke broke his gaze away from his sisters' as he placed his hands in his pants' pockets, his lanky form hunching forward slightly. His eyes settled on the lone photograph gracing the front of the freezer door – it depicted only two people: Ryuunosuke's sister and nephew.

Ryuunosuke said, "… He doesn't even have the decency to take one family photo?"

"Please don't have double-standards for my husband and myself, Ryuu. Photos can cost people their lives in That World… I don't have many photographs of myself either, you know."

"Yeah, but you're-."

"What?" Nana interrupted in an affronted tone. "Different? An exception? I can't take many pictures of myself because technically I'm registered as dead! If I took pictures of Iemitsu and they somehow fell into the wrong hands, my husband and son could end up dead and that's something that I won't – cannot allow!"

"Nana…" Ryuunosuke glanced at his sister for a second before looking away, shame engulfing his posture and countenance. "I'm-."

"Don't you dare apologize, Ryuunosuke! I don't care that I can't take many pictures of myself or of my husband, I'm _happy_ with this lifestyle. Here _I_ can decide what _I_ want to do, I'm not stuck living a life that's already dictated for me!"

"And what about your husband and _his_ lifestyle, Nana? Are you honestly happy being with a man like that? A man who's from the world I tried so hard to get you out of?!"

"I am." His sister's reply was immediate. "I am the happiest that I've ever been."

Silence descended upon the two once more.

 **V.**

"… Does your husband know?" Her brother asked quietly.

Nana shook her head. "No, and I plan on keeping it that way."

If… If her darling husband's Family were to ever discovered just who she was and the lineage she came from… everything she had worked so hard to build in Namimori would be shattered. In the worst-case scenario, she would be forced to live a life she did not want to live or would have to watch her son live a life he most likely would not want and would not survive in.

"We both know that there are secrets we are keeping from one another," Nana continued, "I think that's one of the things that drew us to each other… the knowledge that we – as people and as husband and wife – don't care about where our spouse came from or about their past. I love Iemitsu, and I know he loves me, and that's all that matters."

"And what about your son, Sister?" Ryuunosuke countered harshly, causing Nana's resolve to falter. "Does he know his father 'loves' him, much less is alive and well?"

Nana averted her gaze. "Th-That is…"

"I would have imagined," her brother persisted, "that you would have done anything and everything in order to give your son _some_ semblance of a relationship with his father, one that you did not have with our own father."

"That's-!"

"I thought that you would have gladly put your own son's happiness before your own, Nana," Ryuunosuke said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "I mean, that's what I tried to impart on you when I raised you all those years ago."

"I-I do care about Tsu-kun's happiness!" Nana cried out in indignation and rage.

"Then why are you so afraid of putting your own happiness at stake?"

"I-I'm not! I-It's just that if I w-were to do anything drastic th-then I-Iemitsu would-!"

"So you not only put your own happiness above your son, but also your husbands'?"

"Th-That's not true! Let me finish, Ryuunosuke! Y-You would also be in trouble if I-!"

"I don't care about myself or my well-being, Nana, and you shouldn't either. You and I both know that I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

Nana drew herself up to her full height and glowered at her older brother. "A-Are you saying that I can't take care of myself?!"

"Of course not, Nana," Ryuunosuke drawled, "you are an adult now, it would be utterly disrespectful of me to start treating you like a child."

"G-Good! Then-!"

"However, that doesn't mean that I won't treat you like a fool."

"E-Excuse me?!"

"Let me ask you this, Sister: Are you happy here?"

"Of course!"

"And is Tsunayoshi happy here?"

"Of course he is!"

"Are you absolutely positive of that?" Ryuunosuke challenged, taking a single step forward. "Constantly bullied and ridiculed by his fellow peers and instructors. Mocked and put down by the neighbors. He consistently fails every test and subject he takes and can't walk a straight line without tripping over thin air. Naïve and air-headed and, above all… _weak_. He reminds me a lot of you when you were a child, Nana." Another step forward. "In fact, he is the spitting image of you when you were at that age."

"Th-That…!"

"Let me ask you one more thing, _Sister_ : When you were at the age as Tsunayoshi, were you happy?!"

"I-I…!"

"The answer to that is: No! You were completely and utterly miserable! And you would have been killed if I hadn't stepped in and _saved_ you! Don't you know that Tsunayoshi feels the same you did all those years ago?! Except the big difference this time around is that there's no one here to save him!"

"D-Don't you dare assume that-!"

"… Nana… Sister… I love you, but, sometimes you can be the biggest fucking idiot in the world! _Open your eyes_! Don't let your judgment and perception of the world be clouded by your own desires and Flames! I taught you better than that!"

"My Flames are _not_ -!"

" _Yes_ , they are-!"

"H-How could you possibly began to imagine everything that we've-?!"

"M-Mama…?" The quiet – barely above a whisper – voice had both adults whipping their heads towards the kitchen entrance, where Tsuna stood watching the argument with wide, tearful, and fearful eyes.

"T-Tsu-kun!" Nana started at the sight of her son. "I-It's okay! E-Everything's-!"

"No," her brother interjected, his eyes still trained on the trembling form of Tsuna, "everything is certainly _not_ okay, Sister." He turned after a moment and leveled his gaze at her. "… Why don't you begin making dinner? I'll go upstairs and help Tsuna-kun with his homework."

Without waiting for her response, Ryuunosuke turned and whisked the child back up the stairs, leaving the brunette woman alone with her thoughts and feelings.

 **VI.**

"I… Is e-everything o-okay…?" Tsuna asked tentatively once he and his uncle were in the brunet child's bedroom. The two were sitting at the low-table Tsuna had in his room in order to work on his homework.

"… No," Ryuunosuke admitted from his seat next to the child, "your mother is being a stupid-head, Tsuna-kun."

"M-Mama's not st-stupid!"

"I'm her older brother, Tsuna-kun so I can tell when she's being stupid. And just now she was being super stupid."

"O-Oh… wh-why was she being s-stupid…?" Tsuna's uncle fell silent and stayed silent for such a long time that Tsuna thought that the man had fallen asleep with his eyes open. "U-Uncle…?"

"… When your mother was your age," Ryuunosuke began suddenly, "she was exactly like you. She got bad grades and was bullied almost every day and everyone said that she was a loser and no-good. Our father – your grandfather – was not a nice man. He was very strict and mean and would yell and hit your mother whenever she did something wrong. When your mother turned ten, something very bad was supposed to happen to her – and it would have happened to her had I not stepped in and began to look after her. I am ten years older than your mother, Tsuna-kun, so when I began taking care of her, I was an adult while she was still a child. I'd like to think that I was a kind and fair guardian for her that taught her a lot of stuff, but now… I don't think I did a good enough job."

Tsuna tilted his head in confusion. "W-Why? M-Mama is kind and gentle and m-makes the best food and she doesn't get mad at me e-even when I get bad grades and have no friends and she always makes me feel better and she's s-super smart and pretty too!"

His uncle stared at him for a minute before a small smile appeared on his face. "… You really love her, huh?"

"O-Of course! Sh-She's the best Mama in the whole wide world!"

"I see… can I ask you a question, Tsuna-kun?"

"O-Okay… b-but I m-might not know the an-answer…"

Ryuunosuke chuckled. "That's fine; I know that you'll know the answer to this one… Are you happy here, Tsuna-kun?"

"I-I am!" Tsuna nodded enthusiastically. "E-Even though the other kids are m-mean to me and like to pi-pick on me… and e-even though I get b-bad grades… I-I'm happy b-because I have Mama and I kn-know that Mama loves me!"

Ryuunosuke hummed in response and leaned back so that he was lying on the floor of Tsuna's bedroom. "… I guess…" he murmured to himself, "I was being stupid too, huh…?"

"D-Did you say something, U-Uncle Ryuu…?"

Tsuna's uncle sat up and shook his head. "No, it's nothing, Tsuna-kun… now; let me know if you need help with a problem, okay?"

"R-Right!"

 **VII.**

Dinner was a quiet, tense affair with Tsuna doing most of the talking – for once – while the two adults carefully avoided talking to one another. Only after Tsuna was washed and cleaned and put to bed did the two siblings finally sit down to have another conversation.

"… Nana," Ryuunosuke began first, "I want to apologize for my words earlier. It was wrong of me to assume that you were just idly sitting by without a care in the world, watching as your son went through the exact same things that you went through as a child. I know now that you must be the most heart-broken of all to be witnessing history repeat itself."

"… I wanted to apologize too, Ryuu…" Nana said soon afterwards. "I realized that doing nothing to help Tsu-kun is just like I'm instigating everything myself and as a mother, I should be – need to be doing more to help my son. It's just… and I know this is going to sound nothing more than an excuse, but… I don't know how to help Tsu-kun. I mean, I needed your help when I was his age and now that I'm much older, I should be able to help Tsu-kun myself but… I'm not strong like you, Brother… I feared that if I tried to do something… that it would just make things worse for Tsu-kun, I mean," here a self-depreciating smiled blossomed on Nana's face, "having the 'husband-less harlot of Namimori' make a scene in order to better the life of her son… how 'arrogant' and 'conceited' of her, right? She's obviously 'meddling with the status-quo'."

The other brunet closed his eyes at Nana's revelation. "So… you have tried to do something about Tsunayoshi's undesirable situation, then?"

"I tried multiple times, Brother. I talked to the teachers themselves then to the school Principal… I even filed a complaint against the Department of Education but, nothing happened. I also tried talking to the parents of Tsu-kun's classmates to see if they were aware of the things their children were doing, their response was for me to 'let things be'. I tried hiring tutors for Tsu-kun and signing him up for martial arts classes but, those never panned out in the end. I try tutoring him myself when I have the time but it's not a regular occurrence since I'm the only adult in the household. People think that being a single parent is easy, but it's not. I've even thought about moving to another town just to have a fresh start with Tsu-kun, but with Iemitsu and his 'job'… I've even thought about getting in contact with you, Brother, but then if I did it would jeopardize everything that you did to help me leave the Tachibana Clan… so-."

"So, you've been forced to try and figure out everything by yourself," Ryuunosuke concluded.

"… Yes…," tears gathered in the corners of Nana's eyes, "I love Tsu-kun and I want nothing more than him to be happy, but sometimes… sometimes I still feel like the scared little girl I used to be and don't know what to do at times…"

"Nana…," Ryuunosuke breathed, bowing his head. "I'm sorry, I really am. When I helped you leave the Clan, I knew that you would be forced to live a restricted life with not much input in what you could say or do but still… I could have made eased the burden on you in some way… I could have sent someone we both trust with you to provide emotional and monetary support. I could have kept tabs on you to make sure you were able to handle suddenly being on your own. I could have visited you earlier! I could have-!"

"… 'There's no used in dwelling on what-ifs and what-could-have-been'… you were the one who taught me that, Brother. The life lessons you imparted on me when we were younger… those are what kept me going all these years! Well, that and my dear Tsu-kun!"

Ryuunosuke huffed out a laugh at his sister's words. "I'm glad…," he said with a smile. "You know – despite what Father and everyone said about you – I've always thought that you were strong, Sister. You kept on trying to live up to the Clan's expectations of you and never gave up regardless of the criticism and disapproval thrown at you."

"Ryuunosuke…"

"And Tsunayoshi hasn't given up yet either, right? I got that feeling from him earlier that, in spite of all the negativity he faces… he still tries his best and doesn't surrender to the doubt and uncertainty surrounding him."

"Yes… Tsu-kun is such a strong and caring boy!"

"That he is."

"Brother…," Nana began. "Thank you, for coming to visit. You've given Tsu-kun and I hope again."

Ryuunosuke leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "I plan on doing more than just that, Sister. As I mentioned earlier, the situation with the Clan has finally settled down which is why I was able to come a visit you like this… sorry for dropping by unannounced, by the way."

Nana smiled brightly. "It's fine, Brother. I'm just glad to see you again after all these years!"

Ryuunosuke returned the smile. "Me too... anyways, what I wanted to say was that, I want to start playing a more active role in your and Tsunayoshi's lives, now that things have cooled down with the Clan."

"R-Really?!"

The older brunet nodded his head. "Yes. I know I wasn't there for you for the past seven years, but… I am now, and I will be here for you and Tsunayoshi for as long as you'll have me."

* * *

 **One of the main reasons why I haven't been updating is because I recently got Persona 5 and have been sucked into Persona 5 hell (it is** _ **amazing**_ **). I originally planned on making Ryuunosuke similar to Sojiro from Persona 5 but, as I was word-vomiting this chapter, his personality and back-story changed drastically.**

 **Don't know when this particular fic will be updated again.**

 **As always, please let me know if you loved it or hated it via PM or review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I.**

The very first thing Tachibana Ryuunosuke does the next day is storm the elementary school that his young nephew attends.

Figuratively, of course, no matter how much he wanted to burst into his nephews' classroom or the Principal's office to demand answers and explanations regarding Tsuna's education, Ryuunosuke knew that causing a scene of that magnitude would irrevocably destroy what little… good standing his nephew and sister had left.

No, situations such as this required a much more delicate touch.

And so, dressed in a freshly pressed suit and wearing the air of someone wealthy and influential, Ryuunosuke strode into the Namimori Elementary School building.

 **II.**

Aoi Kawamura loved being a teacher.

She loved the interactions she had with the parents of her students.

She loved the dependency everyone had towards her.

She loved the influence she wielded like a finely-honed blade.

A few words here, a disappointed look there and everyone fell under her spell – it was a high that no drug would ever be able to give her.

She was seated at her desk, sifting through a drawer when there was a sudden knock at the classroom door.

"Excuse me, Ms. Kawamura?" The muffled voice of a man drifted through the door. "I'm terribly sorry to be bothering you at such an inconvenient time, but, I had some questions about the progress of my nephew…"

"It's no trouble at all," Aoi called back in a friendly voice, "please come in."

The classroom door slid open and the teacher had to stifle a gasp of awe as she dazedly watched as a man walk through the doorway - an undeniably _gorgeous_ man.

He was tall and lean; wearing a dark-colored suit, that she was pretty sure was Armani or some other expensive brand, which accentuated his lanky frame perfectly. He had tanned skin with soft-looking brown hair and slightly narrowed eyes – with long lashes – of the same color. Aoi could tell simply by the way he walked and from the way he held himself that this was a man of authority and wealth and how had she not met this man before?!

"Good evening, Ms. Kawamura," the man greeted with a voice full of velvet and charm. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me."

The teacher felt her cheeks warm. "G-Good evening… um…?"

The brunet ducked his head in embarrassment. "Ah, where are my manners?" He bowed sharply. "My name is Tachibana Ryuunosuke; it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kawamura."

"A p-pleasure to meet you as w-well… please, have a seat." Aoi watched with rapt attention as the man turned, retrieved a chair from one of her student's desks, and took a seat. Dear God… even the way he sat in that plastic chair was elegant and refined!

Aoi cleared her throat and asked, "U-Um… you said you wanted to speak to me about a student of mine, Mr. Tachibana?"

"Yes that is correct, Ms. Kawamura. You see, I just recently got back in touch with my younger sister and nephew and was utterly shocked to discover that my nephew wasn't doing well in school! He's such a smart and clever child that I wanted to see if you had noticed any drastic changes in him."

Aoi gasped and placed a hand on her cheek in worry. "Oh! I'm sorry to hear that! I can absolutely see why you'd want to discuss this with me! Although… none of my better students have been giving me trouble or mixed signals of the sort… What's your nephew's name, Mr. Tachibana?"

The brunet's lips curled into a smile as he said, "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

 **III.**

Ryuunosuke watched intently as Ms. Kawamura stiffened in shock and surprise.

"… I-I'm sorry…," she said in a speechless tone of voice, "did you say that Dam- I mean, that young Tsunayoshi-kun is your nephew…?"

"Yes, that is right. Tsunayoshi is indeed my nephew! Why…?" Ryuunosuke's smile fell away and was replaced by a look of concern, "Is there some kind of issue, Ms. Kawamura?"

"I-It's just that… you have a completely difference aura about you from your nephew, Mr. Tachibana!"

"I know," the brunet said solemnly with a nod, "Tsunayoshi is a lot more adorable and innocent than I am isn't he? He's the cutest nephew in the entire world!"

He watched as the teacher smiled – it was brittle and oh so, _fake_.

"… Th-That's… true…"

Ryuunosuke nodded once more and smiled enthusiastically. "Now, I was helping Tsunayoshi with his homework last night and I must say that you are quite the teacher, Ms. Kawamura! It's really commendable how you're teaching your students things that they won't learn until middle school!"

The teacher's smile grew strained. "I-I try to prepare my students by teaching them things that they will need to know in the future…!"

"I'm sure you've received innumerable awards for your level of teaching!" The brunet complimented, breaking his gaze from the teachers' in order to look about the classroom. "… Huh… that's odd. It seems like you haven't received any awards for your outstanding level of teaching, Ms. Kawamura. As I passed by the other classrooms, I noticed that all of them had some kind of award and certificate…"

"O-Oh… I… don't like flaunting my success in case it… influences my students negatively…!"

Ryuunosuke widened his eyes in admiration. "Wow… how admirable of you, Ms. Kawamura!"

Aoi's cheeks reddened as she let out a giggle. "Thank you, Mr. Tachibana… I just try to whatever I can to better my students!"

"Again, you are certainly an admirable teacher… but, that reminds me… as I was on my way to your classroom, I happened to talk to a few of the other teachers on the floor. I asked them what their current curriculum was and in turns out that you are the only teacher assigning middle school-level work to your students! And before I came to talk to you, I talked to a few of the other students in this class and it turns out that you are only assigning middle school-level work to one student in particular: my adorable nephew, Tsunayoshi!" He paused and tilted his head with a confused look. "Isn't that a bit strange?"

 **IV.**

Aoi felt a bead of sweat run down the back of her neck as Ryuunosuke's line of questioning became more pointed and critical.

Why did someone like him have to come barreling in here like this?! Didn't she already tell that mother of Dame-Tsuna's that she 'couldn't' do a damned thing?!

Plastering on a smile, the teacher simpered, "… Oh my… that is quite strange… unfortunately; I can't control what the administrators tell me to teach in my class…"

"Of course, I completely understand, Ms. Kawamura," Ryuunosuke said with a nod. "You are only doing what your employers tell you to do."

"Yes, that's right…! I-If you want his work assignment to be changed then you will have to go to-."

"However," the brunet continued, talking over Aoi, "it strikes me as a bit strange that you supposedly cannot 'control' what the administrators tell you to teach, especially considering that you are having an affair with one of those administrators."

Aoi felt her blood run cold at the casual comment made by Ryuunosuke.

"… E-Excuse me…?"

"Does your husband know that you've been sleeping with an administrative staff member, _Mrs._ Kawamura?" Mr. Tachibana asked suddenly.

Her heart was pounding and it was getting hard to breathe properly.

"I…," the teacher cleared her throat uncomfortably, "I have no idea wh-what you're talking about, Mr. Tachibana…"

Ryuunosuke raised a slender brow. "Oh? It's painfully obvious if one knows what to look for." Aoi watched, entranced, as he crossed his long legs and placed his hands on his knees. "At first glance, one would assume that you are an unmarried woman given your title as _Ms_. Kawamura and your lack of a wedding ring; however, your chosen title can refer to both unmarried as well as married women."

"I-I choose to go by 'Ms.' because it's easier for the c-children to pronounce than 'Mrs.'…!"

The brunet man nodded his head. "I see that is a very plausible thing for you to decide, Ms. Kawamura."

Aoi straightened and nodded fervently. "O-Of course it is! N-Now if there is n-nothing else for us to discuss, I must ask that you-!"

"However," Ryuunosuke continued, "that doesn't explain why you felt the need to hide your wedding ring."

How in the world did he…? No, it's okay, Aoi… you only just met this man… there's no possible way for him to know…

Tilting her head with a befuddled look, Aoi asked, "… Wh-What wedding ring? As you can clearly see, I don't have a wedding ring because I'm not married." To further prove her point, Aoi held up both her ring-less hands for the brunet to see.

"That would seem to be the truth at first glance," Ryuunosuke said, "however, your ring finger on your left hand has a band of lighter skin on it when compared to your other hand," Ryuunosuke revealed, his brown eyes sliding to his right to stare pointedly at the teacher's upheld left hand. "The weather has been quite clear and sunny over the past few weeks and if I'm not mistaken, the school was on holiday for the weekend not too long ago, correct?"

"Y-Yes…," Aoi hedged reluctantly, placing her hands on her desk.

"Since you do not have any children yet, I imagine that you and your husband took a short two-day vacation to somewhere in Japan… perhaps a neighboring town or prefecture since a teacher's salary is not much to begin with. That shirt you have on is a generic brand that can be found at any major retailer while your skirt, although made from a slighter better material than your shirt, is well-worn and faded in color, meaning that you've had that particular item for quite some time. Based on that, I'd say that you and your husband both fall near the bottom of the middle-class spectrum. This means that you simply do not have the money to spend on an extravagant and luxurious vacation. Getting back on topic now, the place that you and your husband visited must be within a day's travel and must not be too costly which narrows down the list of locations you and your husband could have gone to only two places: Hakone or Takeyama."

The brunet paused and moved his attention to a small statuette sitting on the edge of the teacher's desk.

"That statuette on your desk has the logo for the Hachi Hot Springs carved onto it which means that you and your husband visited Hakone for the holiday weekend. The Hachi Hot Springs has quite a few outdoor hot springs in town and it is best if one visits these hot springs during the day time due to the fantastic ocean-side view one can see at this time. Since you were there with your husband, Ms. Kawamura, that means that you wore your wedding ring to the hot springs and ended up getting a slight tan from your time in the sun, hence why there is that band of lighter-colored skin on your ring finger."

Aoi gaped at Mr. Tachibana for a moment before somehow composing herself and saying, "S-So you figured out that I really a-am married…," she admitted, "b-but my lack of a ring d-doesn't mean I'm sleeping with so-someone! I-I just… I… lost it… earlier this week!"

A flash of contempt crossed the brunet's features as he asked, "So, you aren't worried about your lost wedding ring at all then?"

Aoi drew back as if slapped and demanded, "H-How can you say something like that?! O-Of course I'm worried about my wedding ring! I-In fact, I… was searching for it be-before you came into the room!"

"… I did notice that you were rummaging through your desk as I walked in…," Ryuunosuke acquiesced.

"Y-Yes! I was-!"

"But it obviously wasn't in order to 'search' for your lost wedding ring."

"H-How dare you imply that I wasn't looking for my wedding ring! I love my husband very dearly and the thought of you saying otherwise is frankly, appalling!"

The brunet let out a low chuckle and tilted his head. "You claim to 'love' your husband, yet, only a couple minutes ago you were so adamant about how you _weren't_ married… I wonder what the truth is then…" He paused and shook his head. "Regardless, I know for a fact that you weren't 'searching' for the ring as you claim you were doing."

"A-And how do you know this?"

"… That is a very lovely necklace you have on, Mrs. Kawamura," Ryuunosuke said suddenly, brown eyes moving to rest upon the golden opulence that was the emerald and diamond-encrusted golden necklace wound around the teacher's neck.

Aoi's hand flew up to touch the golden strand resting against her collarbone. "… Thank you, it was a gift from my-."

"It was a gift from you administrative lover, I take it?" The brunet interjected.

"N-No!" Aoi cried out. "Th-This was a gift from my d-darling husband, of course!"

"Of course," Ryuunosuke agreed with a drawl, "a gift that your husband has no way of affording." Before Aoi could respond, the brunet continued, saying, "That particular brand of necklace is from _Indigo Vision_ 's newest line of jewelry with the most inexpensive piece starting at around two-hundred thousand yen; your necklace – I can tell – is from one of the more expensive designs which has a beginning retail value of five-hundred thousand yen. Imagining someone with a lower middle-class salary managing to spend that amount of money is, frankly, highly improbable, especially considering that _Indigo Vision_ 's newest line was unveiled just three days ago and managed to sell everything within the first day."

"Th-That doesn't prove an-anything…!" Aoi said. "I-If you must know… my husband had been saving up to buy this necklace for me as a… it was an anniversary present!"

The classroom fell silent after the teacher's outburst and Ryuunosuke did nothing but stare at Aoi for a few minutes, a wholly unimpressed look on his face.

"… Did you know," he began, "that the only way to acquire such a high-end piece designed by _Indigo Vision_ is to reserve it at least a week in advance? And that they require each reservation to be placed under an existing name and account?"

"N-No… I didn't know th-that…"

Ryuunosuke nodded. " _Indigo Vision_ 's top clientele is quite an exclusive circle of people. all of whom must be invited by the company in order to join that elite group… and I know for a fact that they have not invited a new member to join that little club in that past four years. That means that there's no way that your husband managed to purchase that little trinket of yours."

"Th-That is…!"

"However, there _is_ someone within that little group that just so happens to be an employee of the Department of Education and that just so happens to have ties to the Namimori administrative office and, if memory serves me correct, he just so happened to order the exact same design you're wearing, Ms. Kawamura. Quite the coincidence, don't you agree? Especially since that individual is married and has a few children of his own!"

Aoi swallowed. "… H-How do you know all this…?"

Ryuunosuke smiled serenely and placed his hands back on his knees. "Do you mean: why do I know that your administrative lover purchased that necklace for you and why I know so much about your lover? The answer is simple: I work for _Indigo Vision_."

A shocked gasp escaped from Aoi. "Wh-What?!"

The brunet nodded. "It's true, although… it's _such_ a shame to learn that such a loyal customer of ours has been using our products with such… wicked intentions," Ryuunosuke sighed deeply. "Your administrative lover also gifted you with the _Indigo Vision_ bracelet and earrings you're currently wearing, those are from an older set that was released exclusively for our most prestigious members, you know. Of course, we can't control what our clients do with their purchases, but… wouldn't it be _just awful_ if word about your scandalous affair with such an important individual where to make itself known to everyone? Your flawless reputation at school, good standing with the town, and marriage would to utterly irreparable if that information _somehow_ got leaked to the newspaper!

"….!"

"So," Ryuunosuke clapped his hands together and grinned brightly, "to recap our _invigorating_ conversation: you are a married woman having an affair with a particular administrative member of the Department of Education, this individual is a high-ranked member of the company that I work at, and you and your lover would absolutely want this little scandal of yours to stay secret! Do I have everything correct so far?"

Aoi fell silent for a long while as her brain processed exactly _what_ happened.

"W… What do you want me to do…?"

The brunet's grin sharpened to something dangerous and the teacher felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I am so glad you asked that question, Ms. Kawamura!"

 **V.**

"I'm home!" Ryuunosuke gently shut the door behind him and shrugged off his suit jacket. From the kitchen, the brunet heard his sister called back a greeting before the sound of tiny, pattering feet drew his attention.

"U-Uncle R-Ryuu," Tsuna chirped cheerfully with wide eyes – as if the child still couldn't believe that Ryuunosuke was real and staying… he was going to have to do something about the child's belief in others. "W-Welcome home…!"

Ryuunosuke smiled and knelt down to the child's level. "Thank you for greeting me, Tsuna-kun. Did your mother already make you a snack?"

Tsuna nodded his head. "Y-Yes! Sh-She made me a sandwich when I got back from sc-school!"

"That's wonderful, Tsuna-kun! Why don't you go on upstairs and start on your homework? After I get myself a snack, I'll help you, okay?"

"O-Okay!" With a bright smile, the brunet child turned and scampered up the stairs.

Laughing softly, Ryuunosuke stood and made his way into the kitchen. He stuck his head into the fridge and made an off-hand comment to Nana of, "By the way, I went to Tsunayoshi's school today and had a little talk with his teacher."

"… I hope you didn't do anything illegal, Brother."

"I didn't kill her, if that's what you're asking, Sister – no matter how much I wanted to…"

"Ryuu…"

"I just had a little chat with her, that's all." Ryuunosuke popped out of the fridge with a bottle of water in his hand. "If I just so happened to bring up her scandoulous affair during our talk and extracted a promise for her behavior to change immediately… well," he shrugged and uncapped the drink, "it's all for Tsunayoshi's sake in the end."

He brought the bottle to his lips and took a long drink. From the corner of his eyes, the brunet saw his sister shake her head exasperatedly, but, when she turned to face him, her face was shining with thanks and sincerity.

"… Thank you, Ryuunosuke… I'm positive that things will get better for Tsu-kun now that you're here…!"

"Of course it will, Sister," Ryuunosuke replied in an insulted tone. "What kind of Uncle would I be if I didn't do everything in my power to give my most favorite nephew a leg-up in life? Gods knows that he needs a little good to happen to him…"

Nana giggled softly and turned back to the stove. "… So, what are your plans for tomorrow, Brother?"

The brunet hummed thoughtfully before saying, "I think I'll go around and… chat with some of Tsunayoshi's more prevalent bullies… that or have a little talk with their parents."

"As long as no bodies turn up the next day, do what you have to do, Brother."

"Don't worry, Sister, I'll make sure that I don't draw too much attention to you, Tsunayoshi or your new life here!"

* * *

 **In the process of churning out this chapter, I ended up starting yet another KHR OC story which I may or may not post in the near future.**

 **To my other KHR fanfiction readers: I am in the process of re-writing some of my stories including** _ **Fujikage Ryota**_ **and** _ **Zero: A Voice in My Head**_ **and I might just end up reposting those stories once I get them fleshed out enough.**

 **To Shokugeki no Soma readers: I am working on the next chapter for** _ **Remember**_ **, it's actually been sitting half-finished on my computer since April but I've hit a bit of a block in finishing up that chapter. But! Don't despair! It will get updated eventually.**

 **Work has been kicking my behind again – word of advice kiddos, hiring managers have** _ **A LOT**_ **of paperwork to slog through and it kinda sucks. To be honest, some days I get home and have to go back to work in under eight hours which doesn't leave me a whole lotta time to write for you all… Oh well, that's life.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me and my unreliable posting times!**

 **As always if you guys have anything to say – good, bad, and ugly – feel free to leave me a review or PM!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I.**

It was common knowledge that the Hibari's practically ran Namimori.

The head of the Clan was the current Police Chief.

The matriarch of the Clan ran the Namimori Hospital.

Even the mayor of Namimori was a Hibari – granted, she was only a Hibari through marriage, but, a Hibari was a Hibari no matter their bloodline.

It was also common knowledge that the Hibari's were strong – both physically and mentally.

Hibari's were winners.

They were powerful carnivores and everyone else were lowly herbivores.

That was what Hibari Kyoya had been taught since he came out of his mother's womb – what he was expected to become as he grew.

And meet those expectations he did.

He shot a venomous glare at the weaklings that dared to challenge him. There were six of the pathetic herbivores and they were all going on about how 'this would be the day that they finally took down him and prove their strength to the town!'

Fools, the lot of them.

It didn't matter to him that they were all thrice his age and held pipes and glass bottles in their hands – herbivores would always be herbivores.

Kyoya slid his tonfa out of his sleeves and fell into a stance that was becoming second-nature to him.

"For daring to challenge me… I'll bite you to death."

 **II.**

The 'fight' – if one could truly call it that – was over in a matter of seconds.

Kyoya stowed his weapons away back in his clothes and took out his phone to send his parents a brief message about the Herbivores they needed to pick up.

While Hibari's were strong, they also used their strength to watch over and care for the weak – the six foolhardy herbivorous 'challengers' included.

Message sent and delivered, Kyoya turned and began to make his way down the street, only to stop when he noticed another Herbivore staring at him with a thoughtful look.

He hadn't seen this particular Herbivore around town before, which meant that this was a new addition to the thousands of other Herbivores living in Namimori.

 _That_ meant that this Herbivore didn't yet know who was in charge of the town.

Kyoya would rectify that.

He whipped out his tonfa once more and began advancing on the new Herbivore.

"Loitering is prohibited in Namimori… for breaking that law; I'll bite you to death, Herbivore."

 **III.**

Ryuunosuke easily side-stepped a blow from the young boy who was… enthusiastically trying to maim him.

'Enthusiastically' may not have quite the right word to use as Ryuunosuke bemusedly watched as the child's brow furrowed in what only to could be describe in anger and irritation as the brunet deftly dodged yet another strike.

' _This boy is quite good for his age, however...'_

Ryuunosuke spun on his heel – using his body's momentum to get behind his young attacker – and clamped both hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Okay," he announced in a cheery voice, "I think that's enough of that for now!"

In response, the child jerked out of the brunet's grip, whirled around with a fierce snarl, and began assaulting Ryuunosuke again.

Torn between feeling exasperated at the boy's relentless attack or grinning at the child's rather adorable bullheadedness and determination, Ryuunosuke decided to end things before they escalated too far.

He danced out of the child's range before spinning on the ball of his foot and bringing his other foot out with a _snap_ behind him. Letting his body complete the circle and now having both feet on the ground, he saw the child staring wide-eyed at his weapons now lying near the other side of the road.

Capitalizing on the boy's distractedness, Ryuunosuke darted forward, cocked his fist back, narrowed his eyes, let just a _sliver_ of killing intent out, watched at the child utterly froze when the brunet's murderous aura engulfed him, Ryuunosuke's fist _slammed_ forward and-

In the span of a heartbeat, had Ryuunosuke been a man with no morals, he could have seriously injured the petrified boy standing before him or worse.

Instead, just as his fist was about to make contact with the childs' face… he abruptly stopped, reigned in dark aura, twisted his wrist, and gently rapped the back of his knuckles against the boy's forehead.

"First rule of battle: Never take your eyes off your opponent."

He held the child's gaze for a moment before straightening and bringing his arm down. He flashed a bright smile and watched impressed as the boy managed to overcome the terror his body and mind were no doubt experiencing took a step back with jerky movements.

Ryuunosuke mirrored the child's movement, moving backwards to put more space between them, and watched as the boy got his breathing under control.

"You're quite battle prowess is quite incredible for someone your age," Ryuunosuke began, "if everyone in your clan has even an iota of your talent and skill, it's no wonder that the Hibari Clan is so powerful and feared!"

 **IV.**

Kyoya refused to feel proud at this Herbivore's words.

Why should he when all that the Herbivore said was the truth?

"… Who are you, Herbivore?"

He did, however, let himself feel proud over the fact that he did not stutter like his heart was still doing.

The way the Herbivore moved with such ease and grace… and the killing intent from earlier… Was this man _really_ an Herbivore…?

The… man smiled once more and said, "My name is Tachibana Ryuunosuke."

"… Hibari Kyoya."

"It's nice to meet you, Kyoya-kun."

"I want to fight you again."

The man blinked – not in surprise, Kyoya noted – and tilted his head thoughtfully.

"… Sure, but on one condition."

"State your terms."

"I want you to look after my nephew when I can't do so."

Ah, so this man was like his parents then – a Carnivore looking to protect his Herbivorous pack.

"Very well, what is the Herbivore's name?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Immediately, Kyoya wanted to refuse. The Carnivore wanted him to watch over the most herbivorous of Herbivores?! Already Kyoya could imagine the headaches he'd no doubt get from looking after such a weakling.

Still…

He glanced down at his hands.

They were trembling… not out of fear – no, the terror and all-encompassing panic he had felt earlier had finally melted away… his hands were trembling from sheer-

Excitement.

He could learn to… tolerate that Herbivore if it meant getting to fight and challenge this Carnivore whenever he wanted.

He clenched his fists and looked at the Carnivore with burning eyes.

"I accept your terms, Carnivore."

 **V.**

Ryuunosuke watched as the young Hibari walked away.

Well, that went better than expected!

If everything went well, then not only would Tsunayoshi gain a powerful Guardian and ally, he'd also gain a protector and potential friend as well.

Tsunayoshi's life would be so much easier with the reputation of the Hibari Clan – and an actual member of the Hibari Clan – protecting the brunet.

"Although… I should probably stop by the Hibari estate to explain myself to Masaki-chan before she finds out I manipulated her son from another source and ends up hunting me down. I wonder if she's still partial to strawberry mochi…"


	4. Chapter 4

**I.**

Hibari Masaki was a no-nonsense type of woman – she had to be seeing as how she not only she juggled the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, of people registered at Namimori's only general hospital; she also had to balance her hectic work life with raising her young son as well as dealing with whatever situation arose whenever her husband decided to crack down on the 'useless and weak-willed pieces of garbage that polluted the tranquility and beauty of Namimori' (his exact words) – though her son had been contributing more often with his patrols of the town in order to 'herd the herbivorous herbivores that lacked any direction and ambition' (again, his exact words).

Usually the results of their actions meant that her staff would be working overtime and she as well – which lead her into a spiral of wanting to be able to spend more time with her family yet not being able to seeing as how she had to deal with the fallout that her dear family created.

And let's not get into the fact that the aforementioned fallout had nothing to do with the fact that her Clan also dealt with the more shadowy and illegal side of the world.

"You seem a bit stressed, Masaki-chan. Perhaps you should take a few weeks off like me!"

Masaki leveled a wholly unimpressed stare at the latest visitor to her office-away-from-work. "… And exactly whose fault is that?"

Her visitor grinned and sank languidly into the sofa that he had draped himself over upon his arrival. "Well, at least you're hearing the news straight from me instead of discovering that tidbit of information from another source, right?"

"Of course," Masaki drawled lowly, turning her attention back towards her computer and resuming her previous action of typing away at her keyboard, "because discovering that the Head of the Tachibana clan is visiting a supposedly _civilian_ household and staying at that household for an undetermined amount of time in my Clan's area of jurisdiction and learning that a supposedly _civilian_ child is not only in possession of Sky Flames but that my son has been manipulated into-"

"Don't you think that the word 'maniupulated' has a bit too much negative connotation to use in this situation?"

"-looking after that _civilian_ Sky and potentially becoming a Guardian – of all things – to that _civilian_ Sky is nothing more than a 'tidbit' of information."

"Well, I'm glad that you and I are in agreement on that then!"

"Tachibana Ryuunosuke…"

Ryuunosuke held up his hands placatingly and said, "I'm just joking, Masaki-chan!"

Masaki narrowed glare lingered on the relaxed form of the brunet before softening slightly. "… I assume that you didn't come all the way to my personal office just to inform me about trivial matters like that."

A bark of laughter bubbled out of Ryuunosuke's throat. "Ha! You haven't changed a bit if you can call learning about a young Sky a 'trivial matter', Masaki-chan!"

"It is a trivial matter," the dark-haired woman countered, "no matter what machinations you've put in place, Ryuunosuke, it's highly improbable that my son will Bond with the Sky you've discovered seeing as how none of my Clan even knew about this young Sky's existence before today."

"Heh~ Are you implying that the Sky I've discovered is weak?"

"That is precisely correct. Of course, I cannot deny the fact that Skies – much less a civilian one – are a rarity, however, as you no doubt felt in your brief encounter with my son, my son is no ordinary Cloud. He is gifted with highly potent and oftentimes volatile Flames which will require an equally potent and powerful Sky to accept and cherish him."

"But I haven't even gotten to the best part yet, Masaki-chan," the brunet said as he crossed his long legs and tilted his head back to rest comfortably on one of the sofas' armrests, "this Sky is my nephew!"

"That doesn't necessarily mean that his Flames will be strong."

" _And,_ hehas the blood of the Vongola running through his veins."

For the first time in twenty-eight years, Hibari Masaki made a typo on the document she was transcribing.

Withdrawing her hands from her keyboard and turning her chair slightly, the dark-haired woman placed her full attention on Ryuunosuke.

"… You have my attention, Ryuunosuke."

"… That part of you hasn't changed either, huh, Masaki-chan? You dismissing anything and everything that doesn't pique your interest, that is." Ryuunosuke swung his legs off their perch on the sofas' other armrest and twisted the upper half of his body upwards so that he was properly sitting up-right. He closed his eyes and smiled. "How typical of a Traditional Cloud."

"Speak, Ryuunosuke."

The brunet's grinned sharpened. "Here's my plan, Masaki-chan…"

 **II.**

Masaki stared unblinkingly at the spot that Ryuunosuke had been sitting in hours ago – the tea that a servant had brought to her had gone cold long ago.

For a long while, she didn't move as her mind dismantled and processed everything that Ryuunosuke had told her.

' _My… has it been so long since our last conversation that I've forgotten just how truly terrifying and brilliant Tachibana Ryuunosuke is…?'_

With a shake of her long mane and a small smile, Masaki reached over her desk and punched in a seven-digit number into her home office phone.

"Good evening, Yamamoto-san. Is now a good time to talk?"

* * *

 **Short update is short.**

 **I really don't know where I'm taking this story so if you guys have any suggestions or want to see something happen, please let me know via PM or review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Sawada Tsunayoshi is six-years old.

Sawada Tsunayoshi is six-years old and loves his mom.

Sawada Tsunayoshi is six-years old, loves his mom, and his favorite food is chocolate chip cookies.

Sawada Tsunayoshi is six-years old, loves his mom, his favorite food is chocolate chip cookies, and he is going to die.

Slate-gray eyes cut towards him and the six-year old child let out a terrified squeak before throwing his body behind the long legs of his beaming uncle.

Tachibana Ryuunosuke let out a laugh and placed a gentle hand on the head of his young nephew. "It's okay, Tsuna-kun! Kyoya-kun is here because I asked to be here!"

"B-But wh-why is he h-here?!"

Everyone knew that Hibari Kyoya was someone you just didn't talk to. The serious (and often dangerous) seven-year old had a well-known (and well feared) violent streak and all the other kids agreed that they would rather talk to a statue than Hibari (a statue would also be a much better conversationalist than the seven-year old in everyone else's opinion).

"I asked Kyoya-kun over so that you would have a playmate closer to your age!"

Tsuna loved his uncle, he really did, but the child was seriously starting to wonder if his uncle was smart or not.

(One Hibari Masaki would say that Ryuunosuke was one of the smartest and dumbest people that she knew.)

"Hn… I did not agree to be the Herbivores' 'playmate', Carnivore."

…. Even the way Hibari _spoke_ was scary!

Tsuna pressed his cheek against the fabric of his uncle's pants and said, "I-I-If H-H-Hibari-san doesn't want to b-be here th-then he c-can go, U-Uncle Ryuu! Y-You can play with me in-instead, r-right?"

A round face with trembling lips and brown eyes full of fear and hope peered upwards.

Ryuunosuke chuckled softly. "Unfortunately, your mother and I have some things to do and we can't bring you with us, Tsuna-kun. That's why I've asked young Kyoya-kun here to watch over you until your mother and I return!"

"I-I can't wait at h-home, Uncle Ryuu!"

"Don't worry! Your mother and I won't be long, Tsuna-kun!" The brunet man smiled brightly and ushered his nephew forward. "Now play nice you two! I'll be back in a couple of hours!"

"U-Uncle Ryuu!"

But, by the time Tsuna had turned around, his uncle was at the end of the block – waving good-bye with a cheerful shout.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Sawada Tsunayoshi was going to die.

 **.**

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"… Keep up, Herbivore. I won't be responsible for you if you fall behind."

"Y-Yes, H-Hibari-san!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Hehe… we got a nice haul today!"

"Oh yeah! We'll make a killing with all this shit!"

"We gotta get out here 'fore any Hibaris show up and-"

"… For breaking the law, I'll bite you three to death."

"Oh shit! RU-"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

' _Th-That was scary!'_ Tsuna thought with wide eyes as Hibari effortlessly took down the three scary-but-not-as-scary-as-Hibari adults with ease. _'S-Scary but…'_

Hibari stared at the unconscious bodies of the three thieves with impassive eyes. "Hn… pathetic Herbivores…," he said, stowing his tonfa back in his clothes with a flick of his wrists. "They didn't put up much a fight…"

"…. C-Cool…"

"What did you say, Herbivore?"

"H-HIEE! N-Nothing! I-I didn't say an-anything, H-Hibari-san!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"U-Um… Hibari-san… wh-what are you doing…?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Herbivore? I'm taking a nap."

"Y-Yeah but… c-can you really s-sleep with all th-those cats on you…?"

"Cease your stuttering before I bite you to death, Herbivore. You're going to wake them."

"O-Okay! S-Sorry, H-Hibari-san!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"…. Hibari-san… D-Do you have any f-friends?"

"Don't ask such pointless questions, Herbivore."

"H-HIEE! S-Sorry!"

"… Friends and friendships are for weak herbivores that can't be strong on their own. Remember that."

"… Hibari-san…"

' _Aren't you lonely, thinking that?'_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"H-Hibari-san!"

"What is it, Herbivore?"

"A-Ah… um…W-Wouldyouliketoplayballwithme?!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Well! I see the two of you are getting along just fine!"

"U-Uncle Ryuu! You're back!"

"Yep, and I brought some snacks for the two of you!"

"Th-Thank you!"

"…"

"Don't worry, Kyoya-kun! I got some green tea crackers just for you!"

"… These are acceptable, Carnivore."

"Now, what were the two of you playing just now?"

"W-We were p-playing a game th-that Hibari-san made up! I-I throw the ball really, really hard at him and he has to hit it w-where I t-tell him to!"

"Wow! Sounds like fun!"

"I-It is! Hibari-san is so cool! H-He always gets it r-right every time!"

"Wow~ Very impressive, Kyoya-kun!"

"Hn… it was good practice for me that's all…"

Ryuunosuke grinned toothily and ruffled Tsuna's head. "Well, it's getting late now… how about you eat dinner with us tonight, Kyoya-kun? As payment for taking such good care of Tsuna-kun."

"… You owe me a fight first, Carnivore."

"Wh-What?! A fi-fight?!"

"Haha! Don't worry, Tsuna-kun! If you thought Kyoya-kun was cool before, wait till you see him fighting me!"

"Here I come, Carnivore."

"W-Wait, H-Hibari-san!"

"You shouldn't announce your attack, Kyoya-kun! In battle, you always want to keep any advantage you have over your opponent."

"U-Uncle Ryuu! H-Hold on!"

* * *

 **And so, Kyoya and Ryuunosuke spend the next 30 minutes sparring in front of a terrified and overly-worried Tsuna before the three of them return to the Sawada Household for a delicious home-cooked meal by Nana – is how this drabble ends.**

 **(Kyoya also demands that he be rewarded with a fight and food after every time he watches over Tsuna.)**

 **I think that it's a common theme in KHR for Tsuna and his Guardians to be the 'outcasts' of society.**

 **Tsuna = That loser kid with no future that everyone bullies**

 **Kyoya = That loner kid that can't make any friends and scares everyone he meets**

 **Gokudera = That delinquent kid that (also) scares everyone and has an attitude problem**

 **Yamamoto = That popular kid that's only popular because of his looks and athletic ability**

 **Ryohei = That passionate kid that creeps everyone out with his energy and enthusiasm**

 **Etc, etc…**


	6. Chapter 6

There's a giant standing in front of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The giant is well… giant and Tsuna is absolutely positive that the giant's head is touching the sky! The giant is also really scary! (Even scarier than Hibari although Hibari wasn't as scary anymore…) The giant has scary dark-colored skin (like the dark where monsters live!) and scary white-colored eyes (like the ghosts from that one movie!) and a really scary eye-patch (like mean pirates!).

The giant parts his mouth and speaks in a deep, rumbling, and _scary_ voice (like thunder during a storm!) and says, "… Child… take me to where Tachibana Ryuunosuke is."

Sawada Tsunayoshi promptly bursts into tears.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Akihiro is unsure on how to proceed.

The young child – and the first person to actually stop and listen to Akihiro instead of power-walking away from him with wide eyes and a pale face – has broken down in tears and Akihiro doesn't know how to comfort the small child.

' _Should I pick him up and cradle him? I think that's what Yaezuru does with her children when they start crying…'_

Akihiro bends down, picks up the wailing child, and begins bobbing said child up-and-down in an attempt to quell the crying.

'… _I believe that Yaezuru also comforts her children with words and a smile.'_

"… There, there, Child. No harm shall come to you so you may cease your lamenting now," is what Akihiro says to the child accompanied with stretched lips.

The child's crying intensifies.

 **.**

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"For making one of the Carnivore's pack cry so loudly, I'll bite you to death."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Akihiro _really_ doesn't know how to proceed now.

Now he has a bawling child in one hand and a squirming, snarling, and blood-thirsty child in another hand (give the second child a few more years and he would grow up to be a fine fighter, no doubt about that) and he still hasn't found the man he was looking for.

"… Ara…? Aki-chan?"

Akihiro turns and is greeted by the sight of a familiar brown-haired and brown-eyed woman. "Lady Nana."

Nana puffs her cheeks out in a pout. "Mou… how many times have I told you to drop that title, Aki-chan? We're practically family at this point, aren't we?"

"Ah… I apologize, La-… Nana-san…"

Sawada Nana holds his gaze for a moment before shaking her head fondly. "Well, I guess using that honorific is fine… but, what are you doing here? And why are you holding Kyoya-kun and my Tsu-kun like that?"

Akihiro glanced away sheepishly before gently placing both children back on the ground. Tsuna immediately runs towards his mother with a loud sob while Kyoya merely brushes some non-existent dirt off his clothes and glares harshly at Akihiro.

"… I was asking the now-crying child to take me to your brother when he began crying so I did what Yaezuru does with her children in an attempt to calm him down but then he started crying even more; that's when the dark-haired child appeared and began to attack me which forced me to defend myself and put a stop to the child's assault. That's when you show up, La-… Nana-san…"

Nana giggled lightly and hid a smile behind her hand. "… Have you considered the fact that my Tsu-kun began crying because he thought you were scary, Aki-chan?"

The dark-skinned man blinked once before tilting his head. "… I am 'scary'…? But…Yaezuru's children don't cry at the sight of me…"

"Yes, but, I'm sure that Yae-chan's children grew up around you, Aki-chan, and know that you aren't scary; however, to people that don't know you or that aren't part of the Tachibana or from That World, you appear to be quite terrifying."

"Ah… I shall endeavor to keep that in mind when interacting with civilians from now on."

"… You really haven't changed at all, Aki-chan! Still so formal and serious…!"

"If it would please you, I shall endeavor to be less formal and serious when around-"

Nana waved a hand frantically. "No, no, no, Aki-chan! I'm not saying that you should start changing yourself! I'm just glad that even after all these years; you're still the same caring and gentle person that Ryuunosuke and I first met all those years ago!"

Akihiro dipped his head to hide the small smile on his face. "… You are far too kind to someone like me, Nana-san…"

"Well, it's the truth!" Nana replied with a smile. "Now, you said you were looking for my brother? He should be at home right now. Follow me and I'll take you to him, Aki-chan… and of course you're staying for dinner, right?"

"Of course, Nana-san. I look forward to seeing your home."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Oh! Akihiro! What a surprise to see you here!" Tachibana Ryuunosuke greeted with a cheerful smile when he saw just who had been accompanying his sister home. "What are you doing here?"

However, before the man in question could respond, Ryuunosuke found himself being accosted by Tsuna and Kyoya – the former crying out about the 'Scary giant' while the latter leveled a biting glare as if to say, 'How dare you not tell me about this other Carnivore, Carnivore.'

Ryuunosuke chuckled and gathered his nephew into one arm while absentmindedly patting Kyoya on the head – he easily ignored how the dark-haired child bristled at the contact and blocked the subsequent attack with ease.

"There, there, Tsuna-kun! Akihiro may look like a mean and scary giant but he's about as dangerous as a kitten!"

"R… Really…?" The brunet child asked through his tears.

"Really," Ryuunosuke replied with a smile. "Akihiro is also one of my dearest friends and I promise that he would never hurt you, Tsuna."

"O-Okay…"

The brunet man pressed a chaste kiss to Tsuna's forehead before putting him down and ushering him towards the kitchen with Kyoya. "Now, you two run along and see if you can't finagle some cookies from Nana! You know she can't resist your adorable faces!"

Tsuna giggled at the compliment while Kyoya scowled and bit out, "I'm not 'adorable', Carnivore."

"All children are adorable to me, Kyoya-kun and you're no exception!"

Before Kyoya could whip out his tonfa and lunge towards Ryuunosuke, Tsuna took hold of one of Kyoya's hand and gently – almost nervously – tugged the older child towards the kitchen. "Mama made ch-chocolate-chip and sugar c-cookies today… which one do y-you want, H-Hibari-san…?"

Kyoya pursed his lips and glanced once at the smiling Ryuunosuke and the wide-eyed Tsunayoshi. "… Sugar cookies…"

A bright smile blossomed on Tsuna's face and Ryuunosuke watched the two children make their way towards the kitchen – an indulgent smile on his own face. Once the children had left, however, he promptly turned around and pinned Akihiro with a hard stare.

"So," the brunet began, his smile taking on a chilling edge, "what was so important that you had to disregard my direct orders to not bother me while I was in Namimori?"

Calmly, unflinchingly, the dark-skinned man reached into his suit pocket and withdrew a letter. "Forgive me, Sir, however, this is a matter that has to be taken care of as soon as possible."

Ryuunosuke took the letter from Akihiro, tore it open, and read what was written on the paper.

"My, my… it looks like my predictions were correct. Well…," here, his hand was engulfed in a bright indigo Flame before it burst into an actual flame and burned the letter in Ryuunosuke's hand, "I won't let my sister or my nephew's lives be ruined over a petty little grudge… inform Yaezuru, Masaki, and the others to prepare themselves. War will be coming to this sleepy little suburb."

* * *

 **This chapter was supposed to end after Nana invites Akihiro home but then Ryuunosuke** _ **somehow**_ **made his way into this chapter and it turned into something a lot more serious than I originally intended.**

 **At first, I was going to make it so that the letter was a request from Vendicare to Ryuunosuke for help in catching 'escaped convicts' (you all know who they are) but then I realized that that wouldn't fit into the KHR or my timeline. Then I thought it about having Ryuunosuke's father – Tsuna's grandfather from his Nana's side of the family – make an appearance but I scrapped that idea as well (He might make a cameo appearance later on the series though? Who knows?).**

 **Then I settled on this rather ambiguous idea of "War is coming to Namimori." By who or what though? (That will be answered in later chapters).**

 **I don't plan on having the 'war' appear anytime soon (maybe) and I'm planning on having Yamamoto and his father make their appearance in the next chapter (maybe).**

 **I'll share some ideas that I have for future chapters:**

 **Ryuunosuke and Nana's childhood**

 **Meeting Ryohei, Kyoko, and Haru (maybe not all in the same chapter)**

 **Introducing more of Ryuunosuke's Guardians (in case you haven't figured it out by now, but Akihiro is indeed of Ryuunosuke's Guardians – his first Guardian actually since Nana knew Akihiro from a young age) (And if you haven't noticed as well, Yaezuru – who will appear in later chapters – is also another of Ryuunosuke's Guardians)**

 **Eventual meeting between Ryuunosuke and Iemitsu (though this won't happen until** _ **much**_ **later)**

 **More slice-of-life fluff between the Sawada Family – sans Iemitsu – and Tsuna and his friends**

 **Maybe more stuff between Ryuunosuke and Masaki? (I dunno about that one)**

 **If there is anything in particular that you want to see, let me know and I might be able to work it into this fanfic!**

 **Fun Fact: Ryuunosuke in cannon KHR timeline is 44 years of age that means right now he's 36 years old since I headcannon that Nana had Tsuna when she was only 20.**

 **Fun Fact: Ryuunosuke is 10 years older than Nana so that means in cannon KHR, she's 34 while right now she's 26. (Actually not that much older than myself…)**

 **Fun Fact: Some of you have been asking this but, no, Ryuunosuke does NOT know all of Tsuna's Guardians' parents. Ryuunosuke only knows Kyoya's mom because I headcannon the Hibari clan to be one of the more older and prestigious clans in Japan even though there aren't many of them left and a good majority of them live in Namimori.**

 **Fun Fact: Masaki only knows Yamamoto Tsuyoshi because she – and by extension, the entire Hibari clan – keep a strict eye on everyone that moves in or out of Namimori – civilians and non-civilians alike.**

 **Fun Fact: Ryuunosuke (if you haven't figured it out in this chapter) has Mist Flames,** _ **really**_ **powerful Mist Flames.**

 **I would add more Fun Facts but then that would spoil potential future chapters.**

 **As always, please let me know what you all thought via PM or Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

"… You can't treat me like a criminal in my own home." His words were cold, biting and accompanied with a frigid glare and clenched fists.

"I can because, technically, you _are_ a criminal." Her response was aloof, matter-of-fact and delivered with such assurance that he faltered for a heartbeat because it was true. "Or has being with your blushing bride-to-be caused your memory to wane?"

"You-! If you laid a singer _finger_ on Hisako-!"

"Calm yourself, We are sworn to protect the people in this town… We would never intentionally harm one of our citizens."

"… And you expect me to believe whatever comes out of your mouth?!"

"I ' _expect'_ you to remember just whom you are speaking to. Or have you conveniently forgotten that my Clan does not harm civilians?"

"I-"

"-I'm going to have to cut this conversation short; but, before I leave, I would like to quickly remind you of something: We may have allowed you to settle down here, but, I would suggest that you take care of any loose ends before they become a nuisance to this quiet, little town. If any sort of trouble occurs because of an oversight on your part, We will be holding you responsible."

Hibari Masaki stood swiftly and bared her teeth in a parody of a smile.

"Now then, have a good evening, Yamamoto-san."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

That exchange had occurred over eight years ago and – despite their differing beliefs and ideologies, Hibari Masaki proved herself to be trustworthy and just and, to this day, remained one of Yamamoto Tsuyoshi's most trusted confidants and friends.

" _Good evening, Yamamoto-san. Is now a good time to talk?"_

"Hibari-san? Yes, I'm free right now…"

" _Excellent. Tell me, what do you know about the Tachibana Clan?"_

"Not much, unfortunately… the… people I used to work for tended to stay away from the Tachibanas. Why do you ask?"

" _I have the… unfortunate pleasure of being acquainted with the current Head of the Tachibana Clan and he's concocted a plan that I'm sure you'll be in agreement with."_

"Oh? What exactly is this 'plan' of his?"

Hibari Masaki always told the truth – no matter how unwarranted and hurtful it could be.

Tsuyoshi trusted that honesty.

And because he trusted that honesty, he would listen to what she had to say.

* * *

 **Short update is short.**

 **I actually forgot I had this written a month ago and am only now posting it? I plead Life as my excuse!**

 **But, seriously, this chapter - if it could even be called that - is super short compared to previous chapters and only really gives you guys a quick glimpse into the relationship between Masaki and Tsuyoshi.**

 **And don't worry, the next update will be longer - though I have no idea when that'll come out.**

 **As always, please let me know what your all thought via PM or Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Ryuunosuke is ten-years old when his younger half-sister is born.

As Clan Rules dictate, he is not allowed to set eyes upon his newest sibling until she is five-years old – his Clan, he learned early on, were a superstitious and wary lot who yearned for the power and glory of the olden days when the Tachibana name actually _meant_ something and invoked more than a scoff and curt dismissal.

The Tachibanas may have been Old Blood, but they were _dying_ Old Blood and in Their world, dying meant weakness.

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 **.**

 **.**

Ryuunosuke is fifteen years-old when he is formally – meaning officially – introduced to his younger half-sister.

Tachibana Nana is a cute little thing with fluffy brown hair and doe-like eyes and pale skin – she's a female and thus has been sequestered and hidden away from the world to undergo an education that is both similar and vastly different than what Ryuunosuke would ever go through – and a beaming, innocent smile that painfully broadcasts her youth and naivety to the cruel, unforgiving world.

Within the first twenty minutes of their meeting, Ryuunosuke realizes that she will die young.

"I-It's nice to meet you, Big B-Brother! My name is T-Tachibana Nana!" Her words are spoken with a childish lisp and stutter, her expression too bright and earnest, and her accompanying bow is jerky and not deep enough and – had he had been anyone else – he would have punished her for her blatant lack respect.

He, however, is not just 'anyone'.

"Good afternoon, Nana. You may call me Tachibana Ryuunosuke." His words are controlled and thought out, his expression serene and blank, his bow crisp and smooth. He is the epitome of a picture-perfect Heir.

Ryuunosuke resolutely silences that tiny, bitter whisper in the back of his head.

If he can't inherit the Tachibana Clan due to his lack of Sky Flames, then he'll just have to make it so that the Clan has no choice _but_ to make him the next Head.

" _Put a strong, powerful, and capable Mist on the throne or watch as the Tachibana name and blood fades into obscurity and insignificance? Your choice, Father."_

But that is a conversation for the future. In the meantime…

Breaking Clan Rules, Ryuunosuke is the one who sits first at the low table separating them. He meets his sisters' look of confusion and wonder with a placid smile and gestures to the adjacent seat. "Please sit, Nana. We don't have a lot of time to get to know each other, but, feel free to ask me anything you'd like."

* * *

 **The Tachibana Clan is chock full of rules and tradition that mandate how certain people must act to what they can wear and when/how they can speak.**

 **Clan Rule: When a second child is born, they are only allowed to be seen and visited by the Head of the Clan, the Head's wife, and one nanny, bodyguard, and tutor respectively until the child reaches their fifth year of life. This reduces the possibility of 'corrupting' and 'tainting' the child – whether by verbal or physical conduct – and protects the child.**

 **Clan Rule: When meeting with an immediate family member of the Clan (The Current Head, his children, wife, cousins, etc.) the younger must** _ **always**_ **defer to the elder and must enter a room first, introduce themselves first, sit first (it shows deference because they end up on the ground first while the elder stands above them), etc. When meeting with other members of the Clan (servants, grunts, bodyguards, etc.) the one with the lower rank/position must do everything first.**

 **Clan Tradition: Those who are younger must refer to those older than them with honorifics (it shows respect) while those that are older must refer to those that are younger than them by their first name (it shows a higher station with the lack of honorifics and usage of first name). The only exception is the Head of the Clan who can refer to anyone however they wish.**

 **Clan Rules vs. Clan Tradition: Clan Rules are those that are actually written down and religiously taught to** _ **everyone**_ **and** _ **everyone**_ **is expected to follow them within the Clan, while Clan Traditions are 'rules' that don't apply to everyone – mainly the Head of the Clan.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I.**

" _Sun lights up the daytime, moon lights up the night…"_

The room was on fire.

" _I light up when you called my name and you know I'm going to treat you right…"_

The building was on fire.

" _You give me fever when you kiss me… fever when you hold me right…"_

And if he looked out the cracked and shattered windows right now, Shinobu Mamoru would probably see the world burning outside as well.

" _Fever in the morning, fever all through the night…"_

… He needed to get out of this fucking place or he was going to die!

With his heart hammering in his chest, Mamoru bolted towards the single window and leaned out as far as his body could go as he tried to spot a ledge to climb… or a bush to fall into to… o-or even another fucking window to climb through!

"O-Oh please God… _please_ don't let me be killed b-by that psychopathic monster!"

Finally, he spotted his path to salvation and freedom: an opened window two floors above him! If he could climb up before that… _monster_ found him, he'd be able to double-back to the stairwell and leave this burning hell with his life and limbs intact!

" _Everybody's got the fever… that is something you all know…"_

Grunting as he dragged his bruised and battered body through the broken window, Mamoru placed his feet on the window-sill, said another prayer to a God he didn't believe in (though, wouldn't anyone pray if they were in a life-or-death situation…?), and _jumped_.

"… Oh thank you Jesus!" Mamoru sobbed when his fingers grasped the window-sill of the opened window.

Quickly, he pulled himself up and through the window and landed with a grunt in this not-burning, quiet, _safe_ room where he could-

"My, my… it such a nice night out tonight, isn't it~?"

-look up into the eyes of Death.

"… No…," Mamoru breathed in shock and despair. "H-How…?! Y-You were… You were on the b-bottom floor! H-How did you get al-all the way up here s-so fast?!"

"That, my dear little pigeon, is a~ trade~ secret~!" With every sing-song word, Death took a single step forward, a large smirk on his stretched lips.

Scrambling backwards, as if he had enough distance to put between himself and his impending death, Mamoru flung his arms upwards in the universal sign of surrender. "W-Wait… wait, p-please! P-Please don't k-kill m-me…!"

Death let out a thoughtful hum as he raised a gloved hand to tap slowly at his chin. "Hmm… nope!" He chirped brightly, popping the p, as he leaned forward to loom over the shaking, petrified Mamoru. "I can't let a handsome guy like you live, even if I wanted to… You see, I'm a bit… contractually obligated to end your life right here, right now."

"P-Please! Th-There must be s-something…! Wh-What about m-money?! I-I'll pay you twice, no- _Triple_ the amount you're getting paid tonight! I-I'll also… women! I-I can give you all the most willing and beautiful women y-you want! A-And cars! Jewelry! W-Watches! A-Anything and everything you w-want, I'll give ju-just as long as you don't k-kill me!"

Death tilted his head, exposing a long, pale neck as he thought about the words and pleas of a man trying to bargain for his life.

"Hmmm… money you say…?"

Mamoru shot forward, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. "Y-Yes! All the money y-you could ever w-want!"

"And women. Cars! Jewelry! _Watches_!"

"Y-Yes, yes! I-I can give you that a-and more i-if you let me g-go!"

Death straightened to his full height… and held out a gloved hand.

"Th-Thank you!" Mamoru practically flung himself forward and grasped at his only chance of living. "I-I'll make good on my promise! I swear it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"… You really shouldn't be so… gullible, Pigeon."

Suddenly, Mamoru's hand was on fire and it took his brain a moment to process that fact, when the pain finally registers, he let out an ear-splitting scream of pain and terror.

"Ah…. A-AAHHHHHHH!"

Death maintained his iron grip on Mamoru's hands and peered down at the flailing, pleading, _burning_ man. Only when Mamoru had been completely engulfed in flames, did Death release his grasp on his latest victim.

Humming softly, Death turned and left the room, trailing his fingers on the walls as he calmly strode down the empty, body-ridden hallway.

Fire blossomed and bloomed wherever his fingers touched.

" _Everybody's got the fever... what a lovely way to burn…_

 _What a lovely way to burn, what a lovely way to burn…_

 _What a lovely way to… burn~"_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **II.**

Tachibana Ryuunosuke gripped his phone tightly as he read the email he had received just moments ago. Hyperaware that his young nephew was sitting just feet from him – Tsunayoshi was merrily coloring away in one of the coloring books he was gifted – Ryuunosuke made sure that his expression was as welcoming and open as ever before he propped his elbows on the kitchen table and leaned forward.

"You look happy, Tsuna-kun. Are you having fun?"

"Yeah! I'm gonna color this picture the best and then give it to Mama when she comes home!"

Ryuunosuke smiled gently. "I'm sure she'll love it, Tsuna-kun."

"U-Um… do… do you want to color too, Uncle Ryuu…?"

"I'd love to. Do you have extra markers?"

"Yeah! It's in my room so I'll be right back, Uncle Ryuu!"

The Tachibana Head chuckled softly as Tsuna hopped out of his seat and ran out the kitchen. However, once alone, the brunet allowed his smile to drop as he scanned the email once more.

 _Hi Luv!_

 _I did you a HUGE favor and exterminated some rats for you! No need to thank me! I know you'll have some kind of reward waiting for me~ I wouldn't mind it being of the monetary or… personal kind~_

 _Picked up some sweet intel for you too! I'll bring that along me when I visit this so-called 'dead' sister of yours!_

 _See ya soon Luv!_

 _Love, Dante_

 _P.S. If you see happen to receive a call about a burned down building, don't worry about it! I already had the muscle workers foot the bill for us! I'm so thoughtful and considerate aren't I?_

The brunet heaved a resigned sigh and swiftly typed out a response.

 _I'll have Akihiro pick you up at the airport… oh and, Dante? Corrupt my nephew in any way, shape, or form and I won't be happy._

 _At all._


End file.
